First published April 18, 2016. Last updated June 2, 2024 to improve readability and add extra tips.
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Berries, cream, and zero oven time? Yes, please! This no-bake strawberry angel food cake looks all fancy-pants but couldn’t be easier—just scoop, mix, fill, and frost. It’s light, luscious, and guaranteed to make you potluck famous (don’t be surprised if people follow you in with forks... like the pied piper). Think strawberry shortcake’s cooler, creamier cousin—with a secret shortcut or two you’ll find in the notes below.
While strawberries are in season check out this moist strawberry cake with whipped strawberry cream cheese frosting, too.
🧾 Ingredients
Feel free to use a store-bought angel food cake, a boxed angel food cake mix, or your favorite from-scratch angel food cake recipe! The best thing about this no-bake dessert is that it's easy and made with simple ingredients.
🔪 Instructions
Cut off the top of the cake. Remove the insides leaving a 1-inch thick border.
Whip cream and powdered sugar on high speed in a medium bowl.
Gently mix the whipped cream, fresh strawberries, and reserved cake together.
Use the mixture to fill the inside of the cake. Replace the top and frost the cake.
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Angel Food Cake
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
Cake
- 1 angel food cake, homemade, purchased, or a mix. Reserve cubes after removing from cake.
- 3 cups strawberries, cleaned and quartered - fresh berries are best.
- 1 pint heavy cream, 2 cups, whipped
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar, 1 pound
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup butter, room temperature
Instructions
Cake
- Start with a finished angel food cake.
- Cut the top off of the cake. It's easiest if you use a long, serrated knife. Be sure to keep it level when you cut.
- Cut about ¾ to 1 inch down from the top and remove the insides.
- Set the top aside. Cut along the inside of the cake near the center hole. Use a shorter serrated knife and cut around the entire circle, leaving about a ¾ inch width of cake.
- Cut around the outside edge of the cake, again leaving a ¾ inch "wall" of cake.
- Remove the insides carefully, cutting it in cubes. Make sure you leave about ¾ inches of cake at the bottom. Reserve what you remove and set it aside.
- With an electric mixer whip the heavy cream and add the powdered sugar to taste.
- Cut the strawberries into quarters if you haven't already.
- Gently combine 2 cups of whipped cream and the strawberries.
- Fold until well mixed.
- Add the cake cubes that you removed to the strawberries and whipped cream.
- Fold in gently but thoroughly.
- Spoon the strawberry mixture into the inside of the hollowed out angel food cake.
- Fill to the top and mound the filling up slightly.
- Replace the top.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat all ingredients together until the mixture is smooth and there are no lumps.
- If the frosting is too stiff, you can add a little bit of cream to thin it out.
- With an offset spatula, frost the angel food cake, covering it completely.
- Garnish with cut strawberries at the base if desired.
- Chill for 3 hours or overnight.
- When serving, use a long serrated knife to slice the cake.
Notes
- Buy some extra strawberries for garnish if desired.
- Keep this refrigerated!
- Raspberries work well in place of strawberries.
- 8 cups of Cool Whip can be substituted for the whipped cream.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
📖 Variations
- Raspberries. Raspberries work well in place of strawberries.
- Blueberries. Try blueberries in place of the strawberries.
- Bananas. Sliced ripe bananas are delcious either mixed with the strawberries or on their own.
- Pineapple. Pineapple would work really well in this recipe, either with the berries or by itself.
- Layers. Some people like to slice the cake in 3 or 4 layers horizontally and spread the berry mixture between each layer rather than hollowing out the cake.
- Less is more. Don't need such a big dessert? Half the filling and frosting ingredients and use a loaf-type pound cake instead of the angel food cake. Hollow out the center and fill with the filling, then put the top back on and frost.
🤫 Cook's secrets -
You can substitute 8 cups of Cool Whip for the whipped cream if you want. This is a better option if the cake will be sitting out in the heat for a long period of time in the summer, like at an outdoor picnic. Cool Whip doesn't break down as quickly as whipped cream.
Marye's Tip o' the day
Be careful to leave a 1-inch border when you create the channel in the cake. Don't cut through the bottom!
💭 Things to know
- Set the prettiest whole strawberries aside to garnish with.
- Keep this refrigerated!
- You can make this a day ahead of time.
- Use a serrated knife to cut through the cake and remove the insides.
- For best results use a gentle back-and-forth motion when cutting.
Well, there you have it.
👩🍳 FAQs
Have other questions? Ask me in the comments!
No. Frozen berries get too watery when they thaw and the filling will be runny.
Cutting the whole cake in pieces and layering it with the creamy filling in a trifle dish works great. Double the filling and use extra strawberries to slice and layer, too. You won't need the frosting.
This layered strawberry angel food cake dessert is a favorite of mine and I hope that it becomes a favorite of yours too! Serve it on a pretty cake plate and there's no one that can resist it!
Don't save it for a special occasion! This delicious recipe is so easy you can have strawberry shortcake angel food cake all summer long!
Karen says
My potluck friends all wanted this recipe. It was delicious! I drizzled chocolate over it.
Jenn says
It is a great idea but, why 8 cups of whipped cream if you only use 2 cups, do you mix the remainder with the cream cheese frosting that is my plan since I have so much extra. Unless I read it wrong or missed a step, even so 8 cups would not have fit in my cake. It is really good though.
Marye says
2 pints of whipped cream makes 4 cups total.I generally use close to that in the cake.
Barb H says
Wait, 2 pints of whipping cream is 4 cups BEFORE being whipped. Did you mean 2 cups of whipping cream? That would increase to 4 cups when whipped. 1 pint =2 cups.
Marye says
You are absolutely correct. It's fixed.
Pat says
I just made this and cut the volumes of cream cheese, whipping cream and icing sugar in half and the volume is still too much for an angel food cake. It’s piled high and overflowing 😄😄 look forward to trying it once it sets up. I’m sure it will be good 😊
Kristy @ Southern In Law says
What a delicious dessert idea! I never thought of filling an angel food cake before but I've definitely got to try it!
Marye Audet says
It is worth it!
Chrisy @ Homemade Hooplah says
This is so simple and genius! Can't wait to try it at our next cookout 😀
Patricia @ Grab a Plate says
You're mom had a fabulous idea! This is so fun, and it looks and sounds so delicious, and yes, fancy! Love it!
Taylor says
What a great way to dress up an angel food cake! Looks delicious!
Florian @ContentednessCooking says
This looks amazing! Perfect for spring!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby cakes) says
This looks incredible!
Marye Audet says
Thank you!
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says
"You either like cream cheese or you're wrong." Ha ha, cracked me up! Cake looks incredible!
Marye Audet says
Thank you so much!